Monday, June 28, 2010

Techno babble

I took the weekend off. From technology! Friday, we had a retreat for work all day. I logged onto the computer in the morning to check my work email and really that was the last time I did anything that involved technology besides our television which is decidedly LO tech (like no flat screen with a digital box and no DVR - we are total losers, blissfully behind on shows losers, but losers none the less!)

What a fab weekend. And yet OH so frustrating at moments. Seriously, Friday's retreat was a lot of fun. It was held out at a huge piece of property essentially owned by the large local university. We did team building low ropes course kind of stuff. Stuff I did a lot of for swimming but it has been years since I have done it/thought of it. It really was a lot of fun, the weather was great and we got to leave for the day at 4:00p WOOO HOOO!

Matthew and Marisa, I believe, have both been growing, either physically and/or mentally. I asked Matthew the other day if he had a hollow foot. He looked at me quizzically. I said his foot must be hollow because I have no idea where he puts all that food. Also, he has been sleeping tons and grouchy and dare I say almost like a mini teenager which quite frankly I could live without thankyouverymuch.

Any who, this is really a set up for the kind of frustrating Saturday we had.

Matthew woke up with a 'tude. My kids feed off each other. If one hears the others voice in the morning they are UP. Even if it is 5:55a for the LOVE OF GAWD. ON SATURDAY. Doncha know?! Kevin woke up much later, a good hour and a half, after I was up for the day. Freakin' cranky. All day practically I played middle (wo)man to those two. They nattered and argued and some of them cried. I was SO glad when the two of them fell into Matthew's bed together at 6:00pm to sleep for the night.

There were highlights. Most of the highlights of Saturday involved me alone without Kevin. HA. I took Matthew to see If You Give A Mouse a Cookie, a play put on by one of the local theatre groups. It was SO funny I laughed as much as the kids (possibly more!) I never thought a book like that could be turned into a play and be done well! I am looking forward to more shows from that group.

Another highlight was once again the gymnastics "class". Matthew and I got there late from the play but we still had a total blast. Well worth the money (she says tongue in cheek since it cost practically NOTHING.) The kids ran themselves ragged in the sun while Kevin and I hid sat under the umbrella. Their favorite pool games include running into the pool at mock speed, throwing water from buckets into one another's faces and making mud puddles. And we got to grill out using our NEW GRILL! YEH-HA. We got a new Weber three burner grill. This was Kevin's Father's Day/Anniversary gift from last weekend that we finally picked up! It is so purty it makes me smile.

Sunday dawned a bright new happy day. Sort of. Still residual issues with the boys but I was determined to make it a better day. The boys headed out for some "MAN time" as Matthew kept calling it. Apparently man time includes manly things like getting wee dog treats at the pet store and buying new Jack and Annie books at Borders (with Matthew's massive stash of money?!) Marisa and I did more dainty girl things - we grocery shopped. This went well so yippity skip for that.

Later, Ashley, Matthew and I headed out to a special pre-party for the play Peter Pan. Matthew was dressed up as Peter Pan himself and looked amazing (thanks to Ashley who must never ever leave us.) The party was okay. Matthew is a tentative kid and he was nervous the whole time especially when the very pretty Princess Tiger Lily came out. He did get to chat up Peter Pan and Hook in person so that was groovy. The play was super awesome with the cast made up of all local youth. Again another group I have not ever seen and it was amazing. We are looking forward to the play next month already! Both were well worth the money.**

The best is left for last. We have been ever so slowly working on potty training with Marisa for a few months off and on. Nothing serious and mostly just a lot of talk, letting her ask questions or seeing us pee/poop (hoo raa to that). "Poo poo, pee pee?" she will inquire when any one of us walks away. We decided to try harder since she is so into the potty right now and strike whilst the iron is hot and all. We are doing the potty before and after all major sleeps and other activities, etc...

Yesterday, we put her on the potty before her bath which produced the usual toot and that was it. She loves that though and cheers herself on. I put her in the tub for her bath and she played for a bit before looking at me with a look of desperation in her eyes that could mean only one thing. She said "pee pee on potty?" I grabbed her, dried her off and sat her on the potty. SHE PEED. The girl did it - she told me that she had to go and she went!!! We happened to all be in the bathroom at that moment because Matthew was brushing his teeth and so we cheered and cheered and she peed and peed and OMG how proud I think we all felt. I know it is not the end of anything but boy is it an exciting start.

Matthew was so proud he took off to find a piece of paper. He wrote Marisa a note "Good Job Marisa" with a picture of her next to a potty (with stuff floating in it?!) She carried that paper around proudly the rest of the evening :)

About Me

Bug #1: M Bug

He is a character - he loves to tell jokes and dance around like a goofball shaking his rump!

Hanging with his buddies

Playing computer games and board games - he is fiercely competitive

He will sit down and read a book cover to cover as quickly as possible

His fear of storms is still a huge part of our lives - he's a worrier

BUT he kind of loves the weather and science

School - he really loves school; his teachers have all told me if they could have a classroom filled with kids like him their jobs would be easy!

Bug #2: Missy

She is eight!

She is in grade three

Anything M Bug is doing much to his annoyance

She is a crafty artsy little soul - she will draw pictures and wants to write stories out of the blue

She will wear a dress while playing basketball with scrapes on her knees and a bow in her hair - a girl after my own heart!Sports include softball and hockey

She is a Girl Scout and proud of it!

She is tough as nails when she needs to be

She loves to be the absolute center of attention giggling and grinningGirl has a wicked smile and lights up a room with her giggleShe is ALL fiery red head!She is hard headed and won't kindly accept help and yet in the same breath she can be as sweet as can be

She's a talker - I have no idea where she gets that from...

Lucy and Bolt

They are DOGS of our house. Lucy is an 13 year old black & white mutt lab terrier (WHAT?!) mix that we rescued from the pound when we first moved into town. She is the sweetest most kindest dog I have ever known in my entire life.

Bolt's age is sort up in the air. Let's say 8-ish?? He is a terrier mix (Chihuahua maybe?) that we brought home from the same pound just about two years ago. He looks a lot like a JRT and acts like one too. He is mostly white with some black and tan. He thinks he rules the house but little does he know Queen Lucy is in charge. That crazy guy sleeps like a human with his head on a pillow and the covers pulled to his chin (no shit!) and talks to us when he wants to eat - woof, growl woof ;) He's filled the spot in our hearts that sweet Santana left when he died and we could not be happier he came to live in our home with us!